Ambrosia Dar, Land of the Elves
by GPlantMan
Summary: A deeper look into the Elves of Fantasia.


FANTASIA

Like the human civilization of Earth, Fantasia's lands have a long history of war and conquest. But the many races that call this world home have accomplished something humanity hasn't. Peace. Imperfect, flawed peace peppered with racism and prejudice, but stable and long lasting. The inhabitants of this world are by no means perfect, but they have discovered the secret to prosperity.

Fantasia is about twice the diameter of Earth and orbits a large, young red star. Roughly two-thirds of the planet's surface is covered in a deep ocean that bears a number of large continents, along with thousands of island chains. As a result of so much land spread over a vast distance, the territories of the various races are largely homogenous and self-governing. Whole countries are occupied by just one or two native races, as the different species prefer to keep with their own kind. This rule is not set in stone, however. Intercontinental trade is the lifeblood of all but the most self-sufficient cities and moves many breeds of merchants and families around the globe. For example, many humans and dwarves live within Ambrosia Dar, domain of the Elves. The Elf homeland, which is called "Gift of Honey" in their tongue, is the largest of the continents.

Made up of dense forests and expansive grasslands, the land of Ambrosia Dar is an ancient place. Its caretakers have cultivated their cities for millennia. The Elvish government has an Emperor, Leìfe, but he is only a figurehead. The true ruling body of the Elves is a secretive oligarchy of lords and aristocrats referred to only as "The Cabinet". Elf society boasts the most advanced technology and medicines, which they happily share with the other races.

Across the sea to the southwest are the temperate highland plateaus of the Antheroid people. These animal-like mammalian bipeds closely resemble domesticated cats and dogs. The Antheroid race is comprised of many genetically distinct species, including reptilians and ungulates, most of whom occupy the same realm. The two most prominent types are the Canids and Felids. Each species is individually governed by a royal family, but Antheroids as a whole are ruled by a circle of the oldest members from each of these families. The villages and cities of this chilly, wind beaten land have only recently opened their borders to free roaming travelers, so the many tribes further inland are wary of foreigners.

Further south along the equator lies a belt of tropical jungles pockmarked with caves and rocky cliffs. This is the home of the monster races. These beastial people are highly reclusive and avoid any unnecessary interaction with the other races. Little is known about the monster races save for one trait they all share- Every species is almost entirely made up of females. Males are rare. When male monsters are born, they are given a lower social status. Because of this, monster societies are a matriarchy.

Despite the lands of Fantasia being isolated from one another by thousands of miles of ocean, trade and wealth circulate strongly and freely. Mermaids direct the flow of commerce to regions both near and far in the form of pearls and other precious stones. The Mermaids live in an enormous city carved into the side of an underwater trench in the Great Sea. This city serves as the mermaid's stronghold, but they maintain dozens of trading ports off the shores of populated coastlines. While oceanic mermaids are all of the same organized society, there are a freshwater variety collectively called "Riverfolk". These merfolk make their homes beneath the still surfaces of large lakes and use major rivers to travel from one body of water to the next. Every one of the merfolk in Fantasia live under the rule of a powerful monarch, but swear ultimate fealty to the ocean goddess Ziránna.

Religion in the land of Fantasia is as diverse as the creatures who live there. Every race has their own set of deities and beliefs. From Ziránna the All-Maker and the benevolent tree spirits of Ambrosia Dar, to the Antheroid God-Ancestors and the holy stone monoliths of the dwarves, faith and spirituality are prevalent to all races in one form or another.

The rich histories of these cultures go back eons, so there is no way of telling who is right or wrong about the gods above. Maybe they are all correct.

For the past one hundred years, all of the sentient races have made extraordinary leaps of technology. The last inter-species conflict was over two-hundred years ago when the first Great War ended upon creation of the solution to end all wars. Fantasia is currently in an era of prosperity and enlightenment, the first steps toward a golden age. Hopes are high that this era will last forever, but it is the first era of its kind. Each day is brimming with immense potential. The many races of Fantasia live in harmony with one another, living their lives immersed in a vast sea of diversity that all too many would take for granted.


End file.
